2 Verbs

Kanyen’keha (the Mohawk language) is verb-based, like other Hodinohsó:ni languages, indicating that life is always in motion. Every word has a root word which are verbs that must be attached to the most appropriate prefix (red, blue, or purple). For example, to say I love him, I would say rinoronhkhwa. Ri- indicates ‘me to him’ and –nó:ronhkwe is the root word for love. The list below is just a brief number of verbs to describe our lives used in conjunction with pronoun prefixes and other language components indicating past, present or future tense.

 

to like (object) a-__-nòn:we’ne
to be called a-__-iátsheke
to know (a fact) a-__-tó:ken’se
to know (be familiar with) a-__-ientéhrha’ne
to be married a-__-niake
to have children a-__-wiraién:ta’ne
to be working a-__-ió’ten
to love a-__-nó:ronhkwe
be somewhere kak nón:we a-__-:sheke
be going a-__-e
to have something a-__-ién:take
to like the taste of a-__-é:ka’we
to be walking a-__-htén:ti
to be elder/adult aonta-__-ién:ta’ne
to be a child eksà:’a a-__-:ton
to be a person ón:kwe a-__-:ton
to be saying a-__-:ron
to write a-__-hiá:ton
tell about a-__-thrória’te
ask a-__-rihwanón:ton
ask about a-__-rihwanón:ton
tell (someone) a-__-hró:ri
be similar, look alike taons-___-tierénhake
be different, be dissimilar ta-__ttihénhake
to read a-__-wennahnó:ton
to be sick a-__-nonhwákten
be an age …naonta-__-ién:take
be about aktóntie a-__-:sheke
be passed away a-__-tohetstónhake
be dead a-__-heiónhake
be alive a-__-ónhnheke
be a non-Indigenous (White) person a-__-tientatshónhake
be an Indigenous person a-__-onkwehonwéhake
be one’s last name ta-__-hsennà:serake
be # of years old # ta-__-ohseriia’kónhake
have as a surname ta-__-hsennà:serake
to have grandchildren a-__-terè:shen
to have children (idiomatic) a-__-wiraién:ta’ne
to hate it a-__-swen
to be mother to ontate’nisténha a-__-:ton
to be father to ontate’níha a-__-:ton
to be child of ontatièn:’a a-__-:ton
to be grandchild of ontaterè:’a a-__-:ton
to be grandparent to ontatshótha a-__-:ton
to be uncle to ontatenonhà:’a a-__-:ton
to be aunt to ontate’nisténha a-__-:ton
to be younger sibling to ontate’kèn:’a a-__-:ton
to be older sibling to ontathtsì:’a a-__-:ton
to be siblings kiatate’kèn:’a a-__-:ton
to be cousins onara’sè:’a a-__-:ton
to be friends, be bf/gf atenrò:sera a-__-:ton, káskare a-__-:ton
be good friends/Indian friends watenro’serí:ios a-__-:ton
be related/relatives ontátenonhkwe a-__-:ton
in a relationship with someone a-__-terihwísa
to be divorced or separated ta-__-tekháhsi
to be engaged a-__-terihwahserón:ni
to be single a-__-nonhsanónhnhake
to be young ken’ naonta-__-ién:take
to be learning a-__-teweiénsthake
to be teaching a-__-rihonnienníhake
to watch television tká:ra’s a-__-terò:roke
to be eating ta-__-tskà:hon
to be thirsty a-__-nia’tatshénsheke
to be drinking a-__-hnekihrénhake
to wake up a-__-ie
to get dressed a-__-thserón:ni
answer, reply ta-__-rihwa’será:ko
begin (to do s.t.) aonta-__-táhsawen
cook -khón:ni
defecate -ní’taien
do something ok na-__-ier
eat a meal te-__-tskà:hon
get up -tkétsko, te-__-ta’n
happen ok tha-__-tié:ren
help (physically) -ié:nawa’s
help (supportive) -ia’takéhnha
hide -táhseht
listen -tahónhsatat
look -tkáhtho
open -hnhotón:ko, -nontéksi, -te-__-tá:kwariht
prepare -weiennén:ta’n
rain -kennó:ron
rest -toríhsen
say -:ron
sleep -:ta’wh
snow -nieht
study -téweienst
put away -teweièn:ton
tidy te-__-ohtáhrho
get tired te-__-hwihsénheie
understand -‘nikonhraién:ta’n
urinate -nistiá:ke
wake up -ie
wash s.t. -nóhare
wash oneself -tia’tóhare
watch -terò:rok
work -ió’ten
borrow -tén:ni
lend -:ni
buy -hní:non
buy for s.o. -hní:non’s
buy from s.o. -hní:non
get/obtain -ko, -ié:na
go get -kóha
give -ion
lend -ni
sell -tenhní:non
sell to -tenhní:non’s
steal -nénsko
trade, switch te-__-tá:ton
be big a-__-kowanénhake
be cheap, inexpensive a-__-tiesénhake
be dark in colour a-__-hsohkwahon’tsíhake
be dirty, soiled ta-__-‘tsón:take
be dry a-__-stathénhake
be expensive a-__-norónhake
be hard a-__-hnirónhake
be heavy a-__-ksteke
have a hole a-__-kahrón:take
be light in colour a-__-hsohkwara’kénhake
be long a-__-ónsheke
be bad, evil a-__-hetkénhake
be short ken’ na-__-onsháhake
stink a-__-kera’ne
be soft a-__-‘nhétska’ne
be ugly a-__-hetkénhake
be wet a-__-na’nawénhake
eat s.t. a-__-ke
make soup a-__-tkátston
make a bread product a-__-na’tarón:ni
get full a-__-hta’ne
be good or proficient at a-__-weientehtónhake
small ken’ ni-__-à:’a
afraid -tshà:nis
angry -na’khwèn:’on
annoyed -hkará:rens
awake -iè:’on
big -kowá:nen
body type, looks tsi ni-__-ia’tò:ten
busy te-__-weienhnharà:’on
cold -wístos
concerned, worried te-__-tate’nikónhrhare
content -erien’tí:ios
crazy te-__-nonhwarawén:rie
crying te-__-shénthos
dark-skinned -hnahòn:tsi
depressed -‘nikonhrèn:ton
drunk -nonhwarahtòn:’on
enjoy -on’wéskwani
famous -hsennowá:nen
fat -re’sen
funny -ia’tasté:ris
good-looking -onkwe’tí:io
good person -onkwe’tí:io, t-__-rihwaié:ri
happy -tshennón:ni, -tonhnháhere
heavy -ia’tákste
hot -‘tarihèn:’on
hungry -tonhkária’ks
intelligent -ttókha
jealous -‘nóshas, -ten’kéwhen
lazy -entóhrha
light-skinned -hnarà:ken
lonely -entón:nis
lucky -tera’swí:io
cross, nasty, mean -hétken
need te-__-tonhwentsó:ni
poor -:ten
pregnant -wirahninòn:re
ready, prepared -tateweiennentà:’on
rich -hwistowá:nen
sad -‘nikonhráksens
short ken’ ni-__-hneniésha
shy -tshé:iaron
sick -nonhwáktani
sleepy -serénhtara’s
smiling, laughing -iéshon
strong -‘nikonhkátste, -‘shátste, te-__-hwi’shátste
stubborn, determined -nontsistahní:ron
surprised -nehrakò:’on
talking -hthare
tall -hnén:ies
skinny -tí:wen
thirsty -nia’táthens
thrilled, ecstatic -‘nikonhrinekèn:’on
have time -náktote
tired te-__-hwihsenhé:ion
ugly, homely -hétken
unlucky -tera’swáksen
well, healthy -kwátshe
waiting -hrhá:re, te-__-nèn:raien
weak, sickly -tsì:ios, -tsi’ióhtare
working -ió’te
spread out, spread around te-__-renia’tonhátie
setting -héhrha
in -a
in (liquid or abstract), be part of -o, -re
standing (of an object) -:niote
hanging over -hren’tónhkhwa
hanging down, suspended -háhrha
inserted, wedged in te-__-hsiharáhtha
standing (animate) -te
sitting (animate) -tskote
lying down (animate) -ia’tión:ni
in (animate) -ià:ti
break (apart, into pieces) te-__-kháhsions, te-__-hrihtánions
hear -thón:te, -hrón:kas
listen -tahónhsate
listen to s.o. -wennaráhkhwa, -hónhsate
obey, listen to -tewennaráhkhwa
do (with or to s.t.) tsi ni-__-iéhrha
insert, wedge into -ò:roks
leave behind, let go -ties
put s.t. in s.t. -éta’as
put up onto s.t. -héhrha
set down -:iens
stand up an object te-__-tástha, -hniótha
bite -tekhwákwas
sniff -teswáhtha
bleed -nekhwà:’on
hit (tap, strike) -hwà:’e
touch ken’ nie-__-iéhrha
grab -ié:nas
rub -rakén:rie
scratch -tké:ton
sore -hkará:rens
itchy -rónhkwani
injured -karewáhton

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